Musique pour la Tristesse de L'assassin
by BlackRoseDragonCK
Summary: Axel/Xion friendship one-shot set toward the end of 358/2 Days. He was hollow...he was cold...he was an assassin. A pensive frown twisted Axel's lips. He should be able to do what needed to be done without guilt. So why...did the music make him so melancholy? Why...could he not bring himself to harm her? Non-tragic, positive ending.


**I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS BY TETSUYA NOMURA OR MUSIQUE POUR LA TRISTESSE DE XION COMPOSED BY YOKO SHIMOMURA**

**Hi :)! This fic takes place toward the end of 358/2 Days. The title of it translates to "Music for the Sadness of the Assassin" instead of "Music for the Sadness of Xion"…that is important ;). In this story, Demyx is the one who originally made up that song (it's the "new hit single" he was talking about in the secret journal entries XD). Anyways, please enjoy! The Axel/Xion in this could be seen as friendship or shipping.**

**X**

Rain was no stranger in the World that Never Was. When the sky was not pitch black in its usual void of a self, it was shrouded by rumbling gunmetal clouds. They drizzled glacial liquid over the dark city so often that the onyx buildings and gloomy streets were perpetually dank.

Tonight, however…things were different. There was something about the storm…something unnervingly foreboding. It fell in a rhythmic pattern across the metal castle, each drop loud and deliberate.

Lying on a couch in the appropriately silver-walled Grey Room, Axel stared out the window. His peridot eyes squinted with effort. It was difficult to discern much of anything in the rain-plagued night. The outside world was a seemingly endless expanse of ebony.

Normally, evenings like these would have driven Number VIII to the edge of his sanity. He hated, or, the Nobody equivalent of hated, being cooped up in the dismal castle of Organization XIII. On a typical night, he would have thrown regulations to the wind and teleported to Twilight Town for a Sea Salt ice cream and a radiant sunset. Tonight, however…he did not.

Folding his arms behind his shock of fire red hair, Axel's thin form slumped lazily into the couch. He propped his feet up on the squat coffee table in the small sitting area, glad that Xaldin was on a mission and thus could not lecture him for doing so. If he were to sink any more into the furniture, he would resemble a ruby and obsidian mark on the pristine sofa. He was being terribly lethargic, he knew…but he just could not bring himself to go to his favorite hangout. Why would he…if Roxas and Xion weren't going to be there?

The redhead's fingers drummed on the back of his skull. An uncomfortable sensation swept through his supposedly hollow core. He'd been partaking in boring, inert activities such as his current one for days now. Although he had managed to clear the water with Xion…his relationship with Roxas was still fractured. He wasn't sure how…or even if he could mend things.

So here Axel was, wasting time in the Grey Room so that he wouldn't have to be locked up in his cell-like room. He found it pathetic that he, an emotionless Nobody, was so anxious about approaching his friends. He had no heart with which to feel hurt…so why did he fear the sting of rejection?

Axel's teeth gritted. Growling, he shook his head to clear the thoughts. Nobodies like him were infamous for over-thinking things. They had no hearts…so their brains compensated for their lack of emotions. Sometimes this was good…and sometimes, like now, it was irritating. It made Axel realize things….like the fact he could sometimes swear that he felt happiness when he was with his friends…and extreme loneliness when they were apart.

Sighing, Axel forced his mind to focus on something else. If not for the storm, he would have turned his attention to the gigantic wall of windows only feet away from him. Instead…he focused on Demyx's music.

The slothful Number IX sat on the sofa across from Axel's, strumming his cerulean sitar. His teal eyes peered through the messy blonde bangs that hung in his face, concentrated on his playing. To make up for all his shortcomings, Demyx was skilled at one thing. That thing…was creating harmonious music. This talent had earned him the appropriate title of "Melodious Nocturne".

At the moment, the musician was engrossed in a tune that Axel had not heard before. It started in a low, steady rhythm that repeated itself, throwing in a few variants here and there. Then…the key climbed higher. It briefly went into an almost musical-box like sound. There was a brief pause. Following it…was a tune so haunting…so striking…that it would have pulled at heartstrings had Number VIII possessed any. Even so…it made something buried deep within him…ache.

Axel fidgeted in his seat. He tried to make himself interpret the music in a different manner…but it kept coming back to one thing. Perhaps it was just his mood…but Axel was continuously reminded of Xion…and the terrible things she was currently facing. Number XIV…his best friend…had recently discovered she was a Replica. That revelation had set off an unpleasant conglomeration of events. They had argued…they had fought…they had reconciled. Even so…the dreadful situation had not changed. Riku still wanted Xion to return to Sora…and Xemnas still wanted to use her as an Organization tool.

The pyro kneaded his eyes, his gloved fingers rubbing over the purple reverse-tear markings on his cheeks. He could not deny it. No matter how hard he tried...he could only think of the melody as one thing…music for the sadness of Xion.

Finally, Axel couldn't take it anymore. He was about to tell the sitar player to play something that didn't make him want to throw himself out a window…when Saix entered the room. His face looked even paler than usual in the room's harsh lighting. His golden eyes glinted, greatly contrasted by the mane of blue hair that trailed down his back. The clean, X-shaped scar marring his face made his already dour expression seem even more severe.

Words died in Number VIII's throat. His eyes quickly flicked elsewhere. He crossed his arms over his chest, sinking even further into the furniture. Lately, he and Saix had been on edgy terms to say the very least. Saix had made it clear that he did not approve of Axel's association with the two Keyblade wielders…

_"And I made it pretty clear that I don't give a crap what he thinks…" _Axel thought with a wry smirk.

He felt rather than saw those amber eyes locked on him. Determined to ignore the Luna Diviner, Axel examined his gloved fingernails as if they were a fascinating work of art. Demyx continued playing. He too did not wish to catch the attention of their "manager" for fear of being ordered to work. His fingers continued to dance over his sitar, stringing together the notes of the haunting melody.

Eyes still burning into the Flurry of Dancing Flames, Saix made his ominously slow way over to the sitting area. Axel did not move. His body tensed…and he still refrained from looking up. He resumed his stubbornly unresponsive demeanor, even once Saix was standing only a foot away from the sofa.

Number VII stared coldly down at him. "Well, well…how pitiful this is."

That finally made Axel's serpent eyes snap toward him. "What?" he asked, his voice sharp with irritation. He was sick of interacting with this man. He wasn't Isa…he had become a complete stranger.

"You've been reduced to lazing about in here, sulking."

Axel glared at him. "I'm NOT sulking…"

"Then what do you call this?" Saix gestured to the pyro's inert form. "Your little friends no longer trust you…so you're avoiding them by ceasing your unauthorized trips to Twilight Town."

There was a satisfaction in the man's voice that made Axel's insides burn. He kept his expression neutral…but his knuckles cracked as his fingers curled into fists. Turning his face away from the claymore wielder, he stared once more at the squall outside. It reflected the storm raging within him.

A few moments of wordlessness passed. Demyx's evocative tune filled the silence, making it seem almost tangible. Number VIII's eyes narrowed. He vaguely wondered if Roxas and Xion were at the clock tower…

"Kingdom Hearts grows more palpable every day…" Saix remarked suddenly.

Frowning, Axel shot him a look. Following a conversation with this man was an arduous task. At first, he seemed to randomly change subjects…but Axel had known him long enough to realize that everything he said had meaning.

Those golden eyes slowly turned toward him. They bore into the redhead's green ones with an intensity that unnerved him…but he refused to show this. Axel stared right back, waiting for the Luna Diviner to carry on.

"The constant waxing of its power…" Saix continued. "…has caught the attention of the other beings with which we share our home."

_"'Home'…"_ Axel thought sourly. _"…that's a bit of a stretch now, isn't it?"_

"Therefore…" Number VII said, folding his arms over his chest. "…there has been a significant rise in the number of Shadows dwelling here. If their numbers continue to grow, we could be facing an overpopulation issue."

Axel sighed. He had finally grown weary of waiting to hear how on earth this information connected to the previous conversation. "And your point is…?"

Saix's eyes gleamed. "My point is…if you have time enough to lie around all evening, then you have plenty of time to get out there and destroy some of the Shadows." He turned his back to the fire and water elementals and strode purposefully toward the hall exiting the Grey Room. "Make yourself useful," he said before disappearing into the corridor.

Once he was gone, Number VIII rolled his eyes. He fooled with the silver chains on his coat. Demyx studied him with a pitying expression.

"Man, I feel ya. X-face is always barking at me to work too," he continued strumming his instrument, sighing forlornly. "Seems like no one around here values the awesomeness of a good vacay…"

"A.K.A laziness…" Axel said under his breath, rising from the couch. As much as he loathed to admit it…the blue-haired man had a point. Even with the pouring rain as an inconvenience…fighting Heartless outside the castle would be a lot more satisfying than, as he had put it, "sulking" in the Grey Room…and listening to that heart-wrenching music.

The redhead flicked his wrist. A Corridor of Darkness opened near the wall of windows. Its ebony tendrils danced and writhed over the pallid metal floor, beckoning to its conjurer with an eerie attraction. Right as Axel was about to enter it…the melody stopped…and Number IX's excited voice filled the silence.

"Dude! I got my new hit single!" he yelled excitedly. "I still need a name though. It has a sad sound to it…hmmm, maybe something in French to make people appreciate my smartness." He flipped through one of Zexion's old books, apparently a French to English translator.

Axel smirked…but he hesitated before leaving. He was curious to see if the Melodious Nocturne had subconsciously thought of the same thing he had.

"Hrm…." Demyx tugged at a strand of his dirty blonde hair. "Music for the sadness of…something…Musique pour la Tristesse de…uh…"

"How 'bout Xion?" Axel muttered…and stepped into the dark portal.

X

The sky in the World That Never Was held a certain distinction among those of other worlds. For one thing…it was stuck in a state of eternal blackness. No sun rose in the morning…and no stars blinked to life at night. Only the light of Kingdom Hearts provided a sickly pale glow for the dark city.

On this very night, the heart-shaped moon pierced through the pouring rain. Its luminosity made the drenched metal walls of the floating castle shine like the blade of a freshly-sharpened sword. It was not enough, however, to make the shadowed streets of the desolate city easy to navigate. The rain created a blur in the streets, making the tall buildings and black streets difficult to differentiate. The neon signs on the sparse shops run by Moogles were scarcely visible in the contorted atmosphere.

Axel's serpent eyes scanned every brick as he wandered the streets. Peering from underneath his ebony hood, he growled in frustration. According to Saix, there was an alarming number of Shadows present…but he had yet to glimpse a single one. Rather than locked in fierce battle, he was trudging through his void of a world, rapidly growing soaked to the bone.

He sighed. His breath created a cloud in the chilly night air. As much as he wanted to complain…he couldn't. Anything was better than sitting around that castle…that dungeon disguised as a haven for the less-than-human. If he could…Axel would take the kids and leave. They would find a haven…a REAL haven…where Nobodies and Replicas could survive without being used as tools. But…it wasn't possible. He was too deeply entangled in Organization XIII's snares…all three of them were. They would be found…and the consequences…would be dire.

Axel shook his head, flinging away the thoughts and the water pooling atop his hood. Taking in his surroundings…he realized that he had arrived in the courtyard of Memory Skyscraper. The large expanse of asphalt, framed by buildings, was desolate…save for that lone tower. It stretched high into the starless sky. Windows covered its inky surface as did a few massive screens. Axel wasn't sure why the thing had been built with screens…for they were always blank.

Walking to the center of the courtyard, Number VIII studied the skyscraper. His eyes ran from the staircase leading up to its base to the small platform at the top. There were a set of doors leading into it…but no one ever used them. Axel wasn't sure why they existed. In fact…he wasn't sure why the tower itself existed. It was just one more mystery in the obscure nature of Organization XIII.

Axel sighed. He started to turn away…when a slight movement at the skyscraper's top caught his attention. He froze, his eyes narrowing.

"What was that?" he muttered, frowning. "A Heartless?"

Before he could further investigate, however…a sinister presence flickered behind him. Axel turned sharply. He barely leapt backwards in time to avoid the attack of a Neoshadow. Back stepping a few paces, he smirked.

"Heh…about time I finally found you."

The creature did not respond, save for the constant twitching of its body. Neoshadows were a more advanced version of their Shadow predecessors. Regular shadows had rather plump bodies and slightly resembled pitch-black rabbits with glowing yellow eyes. The Neos…were far more sophisticated. Each one was about as big as Roxas or Xion. Their forms were slim and agile, able to spin in the air with little effort. The things were always moving. Their heads shifted perpetually back and forth, making the long pair of crooked antennae attached to their black bodies dance. Long, obsidian talons sprouted from their fingertips, looking every bit as deadly as they actually were.

The pyro thrust his hands out to either side. In a vortex of flame, his silver and crimson chakrams materialized in the air. He caught hold of them, his long fingers relishing the familiarity of their crisscrossing handles.

The Neoshadow's golden eyes watched Axel. It slowly circled him, looking like a wildcat stalking its prey. In the shadows cast by the buildings, Axel could sense other creatures forming. There were multitudes of them…all of them filled with a ravenous appetite provoked by the growing strength of Kingdom Hearts. A mirthless smile played on Axel's lips.

"This oughta be one heck of a show," he muttered, spinning the circular weapons on his fingers.

Rain drizzled down the sides of his hood. Lightning crashed in the clouds, followed by a few rumbles of thunder. The scarlet-haired young man crouched into a battle stance. He waited…and the Neoshadow struck.

The creature lunged, its claws slicing through the drenched air. Axel cartwheeled out of the way. He spun on the slick asphalt, swinging his arm and hurling a chakram. It couldn't burst into full flame due to the rain…but its metal surface was red hot. The weapon sliced through its shadowy target as if it were made of butter.

Hissing, the Heartless vanished into the darkness from whence it came. Fueled by its momentum, Axel's chakram continued flying until it stuck firmly between the bricks of a building. Rain fell onto the weapon, turning into steam as it hit the superheated surface.

Number VIII cast a quick glance at his surroundings. Shadows and Neoshadows were gradually forming all around him. They rose from the dark earth and crawled from underneath the dismal buildings. The Heartless watched him, their antennae twitching and their mindless eyes glistening. There must have been dozens of the monsters gathered in that one area.

Normally…such a massive crowd of opponents would have been worrisome to even the most stalwart warrior. Axel, however, was not concerned. The Heartless were not like the Nobodies. They had no minds with which to think. Therefore, they were forced to rely on instinct. They could not organize themselves unless a functioning mind led them. Consequently…although their numbers were great…it was a free for all battle. They would be like animals scrounging for a single prey…going as far as killing off each other to get at it.

A smirk formed on Axel's lips. He wasn't sure why he was thinking so derisively of the Heartless. It wasn't as if Nobodies never acted in the same way…as if HE had never acted in the same way. He had killed off his own kind before. He…had acted every bit as animal as the beings born from darkness.

Hollowness consumed the redhead's form. It was the same feeling or lack of feeling he had emulated at Castle Oblivion. No shadow of emotion penetrated his thin form…no compassionate thought softened his eyes. He was cold once more…and he welcomed the sensation. Anything was better than the nagging doubt and sting that had been anguishing his mind.

One of the weaker Shadows leapt head-on at Axel. He used one chakram as a shield to deflect it. He then spun and vanquished the creature with a backhanded strike. A Neoshadow took advantage of his preoccupation with its less powerful cousin. Sliding forward, it lashed out with those razor claws. If Axel had noticed any later, he would have ended up with a facial scar even worse than Saix's. He deftly moved his head out of the way.

Although the Neoshadow missed its major target, it did manage to graze Axel's cheek. The hood was ripped from his head, exposing his wild mane to the rainy night. Salty liquid dripped into the shallow scratch right beneath one of his teardrop tattoos. Axel did not even wince. He was a Nobody…Nobodies could not bleed. When they were injured…a little piece of them simply faded into nothingness.

Laughing joylessly, the pyro drove his weapon through the Heartless's torso. He lifted his arm so that the thing was dangling in the air, impaled on the chakram's point. It snarled and writhed, grabbing at his arm as it tried to push itself off. The effort was in vain. Its primal life was over. The Neoshadow vanished into a cloud of darkness, leaving no blemish on the chakram to prove that it had ever been there.

Axel's acid-colored eyes bore into the spot where the creature had disappeared. His gaze…was just as empty as the concave inside his chest. He knew it was grotesque…that he shouldn't be enjoying the emotionless sensation…but he was so tired of feeling pain…of feeling troubled. Or rather, imagining feeling pain and indecisiveness.

Low hisses sounded all around him. The Heartless crawled on their bellies, searching for some weak point upon which to launch an assault. Axel watched them with that icy expression, not caring that his now unshielded head was being pelted with rain. His crimson hair stood in defiance of the water. It grew wetter and wetter but refused to be flattened. It was like a wildfire…stubborn…resilient…out of control. Liquid cascaded from his locks to his face. It ran into his eyes…but he merely blinked it away. If he were in the mood to pretend he had a heart…he could imagine the rain as tears. But he wasn't…so he didn't.

Casting a quick glance around, the Flurry of Dancing flames saw four Heartless surrounding him at different angles. They were all sliding toward him simultaneously. That meant that if he were to attack one…the others would strike while he was distracted. His vampiric grin widened. He knew exactly what to do.

Clutching his chakrams tightly, Axel brought both arms tightly to the side, as if he were holding a baseball bat. Flames danced between each deadly point. He glared at his opponents, waiting. They crept closer…and closer…until they crouched, preparing to jump. At that moment, Axel swung his arms as hard as he could. His entire body spun on the water-soaked grown and he released his weapons. Like his body, they traveled in a circular flight, destroying everything in their path. They whipped around and around, buzzing like the blades of a fan and taking out another line of Neoshadows.

By the time the redhead's Eternal Flames landed back in his hands, they had annihilated a significant number troops in the Shadow army. The leftover ones now skulked in the darkness, seeming hesitant about approaching the flame-haired Nobody again. That was good…and bad at the same time.

"Burn, baby…" he muttered…but there was no excitement of victory in his voice…just a gravelly emptiness that reminded him of the misery he'd been facing.

Shoulders heaving, Axel lifted his eyes up to the sky. He let the freezing rain pelt his thin face. It extinguished the heat engulfing his body and further soaked his scarlet mane. His coat was now so wet that it clung to his body…but he didn't care. Compared to everything else in his life…it was a superfluous irritation.

After what felt like an eternity of letting water soak his face and listening to the low hisses of the remaining Heartless…Axel opened his eyes. When he did…he thought he saw something at the top of Memory Skyscraper. He frowned, squinting through the raindrops that clung to his eyelashes. There was definitely something up there…a flap of black cloth amid the gunmetal material composing the tower. Who was it? Riku perhaps?

Axel's eyes narrowed. He wasn't about to let Riku take Xion again when he had just gotten her back. Something hot flared within his chest. He spun his weapons on his nimble fingers, glaring at the skyscraper's top. He would fight the Organization imposter before he let him convince his best friend to run away again.

Focusing his energy on his destination, Axel summoned a dark warp hole. It swallowed him in an instant, transporting him to the top of Memory Skyscraper. Everything was contorted for a second, a natural side effect of high-speed teleporting. The pyro used that time to ready his weapons. He spread his heat across them, making the rain turn to steam as it struck off their surface. When his eyes finally adjusted to his surroundings, however…he froze…for it wasn't Riku waiting for him.

Eyes rooted to the hunched figure, Axel sluggishly stood upright. The flames died on his chakrams until they were as cold as the rain once more. He stared…seeing…but not quite believing who he saw.

There…curled tightly into a ball…was Xion. If Axel didn't know her, he wouldn't have been able to discern her as anything other than a black mass on the tower's edge. Her forearms rested atop her drawn legs. Her head was buried in them. Rain soaked her ebony hair and coat…but she made no move to find a drier location. The girl simply sat there…letting the rain drip off of her.

Axel stood paralyzed for a moment longer. He wasn't quite sure what to say. The last time he'd seen her…they had made up for everything that happened. Now…she was here…vulnerable…looking as if she would shatter at the slightest touch.

"Xi…Xion…" Axel eventually ground out.

Xion did not react right away. Unsure if she had heard him, her elder friend took a step closer so that he was only five feet or so away from her. Apparently hearing his boots on the metal roof, Xion laboriously lifted her head. Her layered black hair clung to her ivory-colored cheeks. Her lips were pulled into a frown that did not quite suit her…and her sapphire eyes held a sad, vacant look.

Frowning, Axel took another step forward. Number XIV…flinched. She almost seemed not to recognize him at first. Then…a tiny, miserable excuse for a smile tugged at her lips.

"Oh…hi, Axel," she said in a voice that was as small as her smile.

Said redhead let one of his chakrams dematerialize. He kept the other, however, not ruling out the possibility that Riku or DiZ could be lurking nearby. "What are you doing out here?"

"I…" Xion rose to her feet, wobbling. "I…" her heeled boots slipped.

Moving forward, Axel grabbed her arm to prevent her from plummeting off the building. She instead fell into his chest, her tiny fingers grasping handfuls of his inky cloak.

"Careful there…" he gave a slight smirk. "…don't want you falling off yet another tower."

Instead of laughing, Xion merely nodded in reply. The redhead could feel her petite form trembling. He frowned as she gently pushed herself away from him.

"What are you doing here, Xion? Is something wrong?"

The Keyblade wielder's gaze was downcast. Unable to meet her friend's eyes, she turned her face toward the dark city below. "I…" she started shakily. "I was…thinking."

Axel raised his brows. He hadn't been expecting that. "Oh? About what?"

"About…" she bent her chin, wrapping her arms around her torso to cease her shuddering. "…what I learned at Castle Oblivion."

"Ah…" A wave of coldness swept through Axel's form. He averted her gaze, feeling as uncomfortable as she looked.

The Castle Oblivion revelations had been…staggering to say the very least. There, Xion had discovered that she was not a Nobody…but a Replica created from Sora's memories. That was why she looked so much like Namine…like Kairi. It was also why her body had begun to absorb Roxas's power whenever they were together. She couldn't control it…nor could she stop it.

The two stood in silence for several moments. The only thing filling in the quiet was the pounding of the rain and the soft rumbling of thunder. Unable to think of anything else to say, Number VIII weakly offered, "That had to be a lot of information to absorb all at once…you know…about the…Replicas."

He half-expected to see her cringe at the word…but she didn't. Instead, the raven-haired girl gave a slow nod. Her eyes were distant, as if she were thinking about something.

"Xion?"

She tilted her head slightly…but her eyes still stared straight ahead. Something was clearly on her mind. Before Axel could ask what it was…she spoke.

"I didn't…just find out about my being a Replica at Castle Oblivion…" she murmured.

Axel shot her a sharp look. Something inside him writhed. "What do you mean?"

Finally, Xion looked at him. Her eyes were resigned. "I found out about that place's entire recorded history," she said. "About Sora going there…Namine tampering with his memories…Marluxia and the others trying to take over the Organization…and…you."

"Me…?" The redhead swallowed hard. He looked away again, feeling his stomach twist in a sensation that was dangerously close to fear. He didn't want her to know about any of that…about the lies he'd told…the people he'd manipulated…and the ones he'd been obligated to eliminate. He liked to think that he had come a long way in his morality since then…even if it was only a fantasy.

As if hearing his thoughts, Xion muttered, "I saw what you did…how you went in as a double agent…an assassin."

Nausea overtook Axel's thin form. His eyes snapped to her face. Desperate words of atonement rose to his lips…but she placed a hand on his chest, gently quieting him.

"I'm not judging you for what you did, Axel," Number XIV explained sincerely. "You didn't seem to have much of a choice in the matter…everything turned out for the best…I know you didn't want to…and you couldn't fight doing what you had to do…"

Her blue eyes wandered far off once more. Clearly, what she had said about Castle Oblivion was only a minor detail in the thought plaguing her brain.

"But…?" Axel prompted.

Xion sighed heavily. She hung her head, her obsidian locks dripping water onto the steel ground. "But…the same isn't true for me. I have a choice. I don't want to hurt my friends…and I can choose not to. I…"

Before she could finish, her friend placed a hand on her shoulder. "Of course you can," he said, trying to cover up the fact that he was trying to keep her from finishing her ominous statement. "I'm here for you, Xion. Both me and Roxas are. We're your best friends."

Xion's downcast eyes crinkled with sadness. She reached up…and squeezed Axel's large-by-comparison hand in her own. Then…she removed it from her shoulder. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she grabbed the outer ring of Axel's chakram. He was so shocked that he didn't let go of it…not even when she pressed one of the deadly blades to her throat.

"I'm asking you as a friend," Xion pleaded, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Just…put an end to me."

The pyro's entire body froze. His serpent eyes locked with hers, seeing their situation…but not believing it. She…wanted him…to destroy her? He couldn't even fathom the idea. His fingers tightened around the chakram's handle. He tried to pull it back…but she wouldn't let go.

"Cut it out!" Axel snapped. There was an edge of something very much like fear in his voice.

But Xion held steadfastly to the blade. Her sapphire eyes begged him with a desperation that sent an acidic sting into his core. "Please, Axel! If I can't get away from Xemnas long enough to let Riku do what needs to be done…then the only other person who can do it is you! You eliminated the C.O. agents for the good of everyone…you have to do the same thing for me!"

_"No, no, no…"_ Axel's brain screamed. He wanted to clamp his hands over his ears to make her words stop. She was his best friend. How could he live with himself if he hurt her? He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. "I can't…I…"

"Please…" the girl's voice grew softer. It shook as if she were near tears. "I don't…want to hurt anyone anymore…not Sora…not Roxas…not anyone…"

At that…the redhead's eyes blinked open. He faced her again, taking in her frantic eyes…her drenched hair…and the sharp edge of his chakram pressed against her rain-wetted throat. His insides went numb. She was right…he could do it. He had already reveled in his Nobody hollowness while fighting the Neoshadows. Why would it be any different for her?

Axel slid his free hand around the back of Xion's shoulders, holding her still. His eyes hardened as he stared into her face. She gave a shaky smile. Her eyes closed…and she waited for the end. Axel's fingers tightly gripped his chakram. He recoiled, ready to strike. Then…he threw the weapon down to the skyscraper's courtyard. It stuck into the black asphalt below. The rain glanced off its surface, making the metal shine. In a burst of smoke and sparks…it evaporated.

Number XIV blinked in utter confusion. The hand that held her in place jerked her forward, slamming her against its owner's chest. Axel clutched her tightly, almost forcefully to his shuddering form. His insides were a mix of hot anger…and cold grief.

"You don't want to hurt anyone?" he hissed into her ear, not relinquishing his grip. "What about me?'

"What…?" Xion didn't move. Whether it was because she was stunned or because the redhead had her in a vice-like hold, he wasn't sure.

Axel's other hand moved to clutch her head to his chest. "Do you have any idea…what hurting you would do to me…?" he choked out.

Axel's body trembled again. He didn't care if he sounded too "human" for a Nobody. He was starting to realize…that not everything was so black and white. There was something there…something human buried deep inside him. It tormented his very core with those warring sensations of fury and sorrow…and it would drive him insane if he was forced to kill his best friend.

"I know you don't want to hurt Roxas…but are you really okay with hurting me?"

The girl's tiny form tensed. Bracing her hands on the pyro's torso, she pushed away so that she could gaze into his face. There she no doubt glimpsed the pain of his tormented being…made to look even colder by the rain dampening his pale skin. Her gaze softened. She placed a hand on his cheek, letting her thumb stroke over his violet tattoos.

"No…" Xion whispered. "…I don't want to hurt you, either. You're my best friend, Axel. I'm sorry…I was selfish to ask you…"

"You're not selfish, Xion," Axel firmly grasped both her shoulders. "I'm just fed up with it all. I'm done being the Organization's cold-blooded killer."

Number XIV nodded solemnly. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Axel's torso. His body tensed a little, embarrassed as the reality of his speech set in. He wasn't used to being seen as someone tender…someone embraceable. The Organization had beat the assassin mentality too deeply into his head.

"It would have been easier for you to just end me…" Xion muttered, her cheek resting against his chest."But...I guess the easy way out is never the right way."

Axel sighed. He placed a hand atop her head. "We'll get through this together…get it memorized."

She nodded again…and they stood in silence. Rain still gushed from the heavens, falling down on both of them. Normally, a hollow Nobody would have been freezing in such weather…but this was not the case. Right now, the Nobody and Replica were warm in their human contact…in their human understanding.

Axel's acid-colored eyes wandered upward to Kingdom Hearts. Its sickly light added an air of ill-omen to the moment of relief. The worst was yet to come…but for now…they were safe.

Standing there…bathed in moonlight and rain…Axel could swear that he heard the haunting cords of Demyx's song. This time, however…the tune fit himself as well as Xion.

It was Musique pour la Tristesse de Xion…Musique pour la Tristesse de L'assassin.

**I was kind of inspired to do this by several things...one of those being the scene where Axel finds the WINNER stick and the music playing in the background is Musique pour la Tristesse de Xion. Also, the scene where Xion asks him to "end her" is supposed to mirror the scene with Ventus in BBS where he asks Terra and Aqua to do the same thing. Anyways, I hope you liked and please review :)! Please no flames.**

**I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR MUSIQUE POUR LA TRISTESSE DE XION**


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